Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Lebanese Communist Party has a new secretary-general

Hanna Gharib is in my opinion the best choice for leadership of the LCP in its entire history--although the party was never my kind of interpretation of Marxism. George Hawi led the party for decades and made it beholden to USSR and Yasser Arafat and ensured that the party represents the most vulgar version of Soviet Marxism. Khalid Hdadah, the former leader is a very nice guy but he did not know what he wanted to do with the party and I asked once: why are you so ashamed of Marx? HE insisted on leading the party without asserting an independent agenda and squandered many opportunities to promote the party's role away from the sectarian blocs. Hanna Gharib was a leader of the teachers of public universities and proved his great leadership abilities, and his perseverance and doggedness. HE was such a force that the two sectarian coalitions of Lebanon (that includes Hizbullah and Hariri movement) conspired to remove him from the union leadership. Ghraib brings with him a new generation of young leaders but unless they reengage with Marxism the struggle will be futile, in my opinion.

Comic by Terry Furry, reproduced from "Heard the One About the Funny Leftist?" by Cris Thompson, East Bay Express

As'ad's Bio

As'ad AbuKhalil, born March 16, 1960. From Tyre, Lebanon, grew up in Beirut. Received his BA and MA from American University of Beirut in pol sc. Came to US in 1983 and received his PhD in comparative government from Georgetown University. Taught at Tufts University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, Colorado College, and Randolph-Macon Woman's College. Served as a Scholar-in-Residence at Middle East Institute in Washington DC. He served as free-lance Middle East consultant for NBC News and ABC News, an experience that only served to increase his disdain for maintream US media. He is now professor of political science at California State University, Stanislaus. His favorite food is fried eggplants.

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